These quiet moments
by Tis the Fairy
Summary: ...we find ourselves in. Scenes of seclusion from the eyes of the night class. Chapter two- Seiren.
1. Rima

_Disclaimer- Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino, not me (sob). _

**These quiet moments **

**Chapter 1- Rima **

**Expectations**

"_Between the wish and the thing lies waiting."_

There is simply nothing that I can't stand more than those fickle minded girls that feature in trashy, mediocre romance novels. The type sold in drug stores with the same picture of the swooning damsel staring dead eyed at you from the front cover, slightly lopsided next to the bottles of aspirin.

They'll just go on and meet a guy, get swept of their feet and married before you can say 'Whirlwind'. Then they'll skip off into the technicolor sunset, without a second thought to the fact that all of this occurs roughly a month or so after first clapping eyes on the poor sod.

I really do despise them, _truly_, it's just I think that I'm starting to see the allure lately.

I shouldn't do, my situation's not a bit like that of those vacuous harpies. I think I have a pretty good idea of what is on the other side of _my_ sunset. And why shouldn't I? I'veknown him pretty much my entire life, I know _everything_ about him. It's not as if we'll suddenly discover after an extended length of time with one another that we actually drive each other crazy with those hidden habits and quirks which only become apparent after the dewy haze of sickly infatuation clears up and the serious 'relationship' gets underway.

Take that you impulsive shrews, they've all yet to discover that they'll want to do in their beloved with an axe after finding that they absentmindedly click their spoons on their teeth every morning or that prince charming sings the songs you hate while showering.

As fun as a tumultuous love affair may be, you can be sure that rather un-pleasant surprises await the short-sighted couples in the following months (assuming that they stick it out for that long).

And as many faults as I can see with their design, I have to hand it to them- at least they get the job done_._

As for me and the boy who I've been in love with pretty much _half my life_, we've been making all the progress of chess match played between two dumb, blind, Aido-addled fangirls.

Now, I'm not the sort of girl people usually associate with this kind of impatience, those girls with the wedding dresses and monogrammed bathrobes at the ready. But all natural logic and my own straight forward nature tell me something ought to have happened by now. _Anything._

A lot of people already assume we're together, and why wouldn't they? We're constant companions, every class seated next to each other, every break, meal, evening and holiday _together_ and yet...

I'm conducting this inner rant while simultaneously pretending to show at least some sort of half-hearted interest in whatever class I happen to be in at the moment. History? Maths? I'm not really sure and I definitely can't be bothered to find out.

Simple things really, staring in the general vicinity of the teacher, flipping the pages of a text book every so often. It stops people talking to me as I try to organize the random and confusing mess circling my mind.

It's not as if anybody else is _really _paying any attention. As usual we are scattered in the far corner of the room, some seated on desks, others not even facing the front of the room. But it's not as if this teacher is ever going to enforce any form of discipline on us. One mostly insignificant vampire facing a room full of our society's best? I think most of our teachers must be content in this, its not as if they need to put any effort into what they do. Why the very one in front of me could be reading out from the menu of a highway diner he picked up off the street for all I know and care.

So with all things considered this really is the ideal time for me to fume in silence. Time in the 'privacy' of my dorm room is often spent with Ruka, who either wallows in her own love related misery or otherwise attempts to pry into mine to distract herself from said misery. Any other time is spent with, well him.

He's next to me right now of course, but he won't bother me. Not while I'm so hard at work. I hear him, absentmindedly munching on the candy I handed to him earlier. I know how he is sitting and what expression he has on without having to even look at him.

It's the last class of the night, meaning he'll be even more weary that usual, slouched forward on the desk, one hand underneath his chin and the other arm folded in front of him. Long, pale fingers are causing that slight, almost indistinguishable tapping sound I am hearing. He will not be hiding his fatigue. Earlier in the evening he might have leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head.

His expression. Well that doesn't change as time passes, not at all in fact. Lips forming a soft, but straight line, his eyes half lidded in seemingly constant disinterest. The grey irises appear lightless despite their pale hue.

I take a cursory glance around the room, everybody appears to be occupied. Directly in front of me is Ichijo chatting with incomprehensible swiftness and enthusiasm to a distracted Kain. The assistant dorm leader appears to be oblivious to the fact that Kain appears to be simultaneously trying to watch both Aido and Ruka, his self-imposed wards.

This appears to be a difficult task to manage as they are sitting some distance apart from each other. His eyes dart between them every few moments, alternating his watch over them. Well how much trouble does he expect them to get into in a maths class? (or history or modern languages or whatever). But you never know.

I decide to follow his gaze which has lingered on its subject far longer than previously before. He appears to be gazing at Ruka, who in turn has her eyes lingering in the direction of our pureblood leader.

Sidestepping that rather not-so-subtle triangle I wonder, is my situation in any way similar to theirs? Well not really. Both of the objects of their desire have such an air of the unattainable so how could they be anything like us? Not to sound cocky or even overly hopeful, but it's just a fact. It will happen one day and I can only hope that it is soon. I'm so very fed up of waiting.

I feel a slight tug on my sleeve but I ignore it, preferring instead to drift off into my, now calmer thoughts. But soon the slight pull turns into a set of long, elegant fingers closing around my arm shaking me from out of my own head.

"Class is over now, everyone else is leaving".

He stands above me with a curious expression. It's only slightly different from his normal look, perhaps others wouldn't even notice the change. I gather my things quickly as he stands aside, waiting for me.

We set of together outside as the light rain falls above us, invisible in the moonless sky. He takes my arm again, silently urging me to speed up while he holds one of his text books above my head, preventing the rain from reaching me. His own perpetually messy chestnut hair is becoming slowly saturated with water, turning it a darker brown. I raise one eyebrow up at him quizzically and he shrugs, giving my arm another pull.

To my pleasant surprise, I find this far more than bearable. Maybe I'm over stressing things with all of this concern over our progress. I could be rather content in this alone I think. For now at the very least.

.x

**Author's note- **Well that's one chapter down and an unspecified number left to go. Before it's said, and you can say it again if you want, it _was _pretty OOC, but I'll explain why. These little scenes'o mine are meant to explore the perhaps rather latent aspects of some characters in moments in which they are not quite themselves In Rima's case, a little bitterness and longing, just for a while. That, and the fact that some characters are a still a little less developed than others in the manga so I took a little creative license. Rima and Sieren especially (which is next by the way, well Seiren or Kaname I haven't decided which).

Tell me what you think and there is more to come, I get discouraged incredibly easily so feedback would be great.

Till next time, bye!


	2. Seiren

**Chapter 2- Seiren **

**Dread**

"_I never think of the future. It comes soon enough" (*) _

I have been here for some time now in this old and grand house. However, despite the luxurious furnishings it has to offer I find myself deep in the more hidden, darker chambers of the place crouching in the rafters.

The stone flooring and cold, impassive walls give the place and immensely ancient feel, although without any signs of dilapidation. As though this small piece of a time long since past has somehow been forgotten by the effects of time all together, its all encompassing reach deflected by this bubble of past. A medieval dungeon in its glory days.

My purpose here is to watch those who dare seek to move against Kaname-sama.

I don't suppose many others would rather be in my place. Negating the part about serving our highly respected pureblood leader, they might find the work I do unpleasant or perhaps unbefitting of a noble such as myself.

It's not exactly the type of reconnaissance most would have in mind. Spies are suave and charming, not ones to get their hands dirty. They sit around in cafes, nonchalantly sipping at their drinks, glancing up at the person their supposed to be tracking every now and then from behind a convenient broadsheet.

No one in their right mind could call hiding away in shadowy, damp corners exactly _glamorous_. But luckily I don't expect or want that.

After all, it is an honour. It is a duty. And above all it is a _relief_.

When I think of what else I might be doing as the daughter of a noble, I know I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

_Click. Click. Click _

The sound of hard soles hitting the stone floor resonate down a corridor, announcing the approach of someone. I lean back further into the shadows and wait for it all to unfold.

The roads are empty and silent as I make my way back to the academy. It's still very dark at this time, not that it matters. The tint on the car windows is heavy enough to block out most of the sun's irritating rays.

This homecoming is bittersweet. Good, of course in the way that soon I will be handing potential vital information to my esteemed lord, I live to serve as the saying goes. However I realise on this trip that this could be one of the last few that I will have the privilege serving.

It is so prevalent in our culture that it actually becomes invisible. Those remarks and meetings throughout childhood made me blind to the obvious. A noblewoman's duty is such an understated thing despite its potential for ruin.

It starts to rear its ugly head more prevalently around adolescence. They begin with the parties. Formal, chaperoned affairs which start off pleasant and boring and turn rather nasty as the evening wears on.

As a girl, you are to do a circuit around the ballroom under the pretence of 'introducing' yourself to everybody. A parent will place their hand on your back, urging you forward to meet the stares of fellow nobles.

These nobles will not look at you with kindness, or the respect you deserve. And certainly not with the nervous fear I am used to from most others my own age. Instead I receive the discerning eye of a person inspecting an investment, a long term one at that.

Marriage in our world is a completely different thing to that of the lower levels and most humans. Love and certainly _choice _has very little to do with it all. Their purpose is to form ties, strengthen a family's position and create allies.

Not that I have any issue with that aspect, it all seems perfectly reasonable to me. Why if it were not for the well planned matches keeping noble and noble alike together we'd have no class system, no elite among our kind.

What I find simply infuriating is not the lack of choice between partners or even the sentiment behind it all, what I despise is being forced to participate in it all.

Marriage is not for everyone in my opinion, most people may be fit for it but not me. Other girls, such as Ruka and Rima may be content in the expectations of a noble wife but I know that I could not stand it.

Next are the talks at home, the gentle prying of parents in discussing the 'fine, young gentleman' at the last ball. They begin discussing the pros and cons of each family, their positions in our hierarchy of sorts, those with past scandals to avoid and soon they begin to forget the presence of the girl who will have to change her life forever and be bound for life to that 'promising son' of so and so.

I arrive at the front drive but haven't gotten out yet. I sit in the darkened car and look up at the dorms in the distance. The last classes of the evening have finished by now and everyone will be in the common room still. All apart from Kaname-sama who will be in his study, waiting.

The last steps involve meeting the chosen family, a step I still have yet to go through. I have kept my own family distracted long enough to prolong this, but not, as a letter from my Mother earlier today would suggest, long enough.

An inescapable, but quite sigh escapes my lips as I walk up the gravel path toward the moon dorms. This future, one involving a blur of white dresses, pearls and some smug boy I couldn't care less about, is a future not worth thinking about. The present is all that matters and as long as Kaname-sama still assigns these excursions to me, I will perform them with a clear and untroubled head.

Surely my duty to our pureblood leader is worth something more than any tradition? Somehow I don't think that argument will quite enough.

.x

(*)-Albert Einstein


End file.
